


Trust

by volpeanon



Category: Prototype (Video Games)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Cross Lives Bitch, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Oh my god so much Fluff, PROBABLY TOO SOFT, Post-Game, Tooth-Rottingly Sweet, but not really bc i am mostly incapable of plot, it's 90 percent fucking, porn... with almost a plot?, real absolute tender fuckings, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:14:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22203163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/volpeanon/pseuds/volpeanon
Summary: A very stressed out virus isn't always patient enough with himself, given everything he's been through, but Cross has patience enough for both of them and is determined that Alex won't do something he regrets.
Relationships: Robert Cross/Alex Mercer
Comments: 8
Kudos: 52





	1. An Immovable Object

Oh, Alex did not like this. He'd been the one to sit on the end of the bed, to pull Cross in between his legs and lean back, drawing him on. He’d been thinking about it for- he didn’t know how long. But the second he was laid out on his back there was a deep throb of unease crawling through his core. It was so primal an urge it didn't even taste human - it just knew that this was vulnerability and submission and that he _hated_ it. He trusted Cross but he hated being under him and closed in by his arms on either side, even if, with all the ease of throwing a pillow, Alex could send him flying into the wall hard enough to make a hole in it. It was the _what if_. It was wanting to live in a world that wanted him dead so badly, that even the shadow of danger in the corner of his eye was too much.

"Hey." Cross's voice snapped him to - how long had he been out of it this time? He hadn't even noticed the kiss stopping. "You okay?"

"Yeah," his voice was strained and raspy. _Cross_ had done this without so much as a flinch. Cross had showed the flesh-eating virus his throat, let Alex on top of him and inside of him, knowing he could never get away if Alex decided he was a monster after all. Did it mean Alex cared less? All that trust given to him, and he couldn't give it back. He did care. He didn't want Cross to think he didn't. Maybe if he shut his eyes and tried to ignore it-

Cross moved slightly, pushing himself up, and Alex didn't know if he wanted to grab him and pull him closer, or shove him and run. "Alex. What's wrong?"

He couldn't, he couldn't, he cared so much and he still couldn't- he tried to speak and choked on the tightness in his chest crushing him, enclosing him.

Cross swung off him and almost by itself Alex's body jolted upright. He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, a shuddering breath rushing out, biomass crawling across his chest and in his stomach. He wanted- he didn't want- he didn't _know_ -

"It's okay," Cross put a hand gently on Alex's arm, waited, and when Alex didn't push him away, he moved it up to his back. Alex thought it would make him rile up again; it almost did. But then Cross was rubbing small circles between his shoulders and actually, it went like a breeze across hot skin, relaxing him bit, by bit, by bit. He let out another sigh, this one less shaken, and his head sank down until it was on his knees. "It's alright," Cross was murmuring "You're alright."

Alex didn't know how a man like Cross could ever sound so gentle. It made him ache. He stayed where he was so he didn't have to look him in the eye and explain that he guessed he didn't trust Cross like Cross did him. And Cross just let him, slowly easing his arm around Alex until he was leaning in, fitting himself safely against Cross's side. Why this was fine and that wasn't, he didn't understand. Stupid human brain.

"Better?" Cross asked at last. Alex turned his head, pressing his face into his neck.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"... I ruined it."

"Hey." Cross knocked his chin up with gentle insistence, green eyes firm and filled with care "Don't say that. You think I give a shit about it if you don't want it? I'm here for _you_ , Alex."

Alex's arms snaked around Cross's middle, feeling pressure in his chest again, of a very different kind.

"Maybe it'll take time and maybe it'll be never. That's just how it is."

Something was scratching at the back of Alex's mind, stirred by familiarity. He let it out, and as the images flashed he realised that this was why the Wisemen stood their ground to the last _._ In the very end it wasn't because of Blackwatch brainwashing, or duty, or the people who would die if they didn't. It was because the man at their head was the same man who came to them when they woke up screaming, or a loud noise left them shaking and feeling like a coward; the same man who put a blanket around their shoulders, got them a stiff drink, and made them laugh again.

There were so many things to say, and Alex didn't think he could make words fit any of them. He fitted his lips against Cross's, and marvelled at how easily and how quickly the soft pulse of one man could make everything okay again.


	2. Verses An Unstoppable Force

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok but this time they fuckin'.

Alex tugged, guiding them both back until he was on the bed, pulling Cross down to meet his lips. They kissed, lazy and soft, until Cross pulled back and looked down at him, his thumb tracing Alex's jaw. "Alex-"

"I know." he clung to Cross's hips, leaning into the hand as it cupped his cheek "I know, but… I want this. I do."

"You have to tell me," Cross murmured, fingers rubbing the back of Alex's neck until he felt like turning into a puddle "If it's too much. It's not about just making it through."

"I know. I mean it this time. I'm ready."

Sighing with a kind of exasperated affection, Cross gave Alex a little push, and he duly wiggled back on the bed to let Cross climb over him. But rather than settle on top of him, Cross said "Here," and lay down beside him, up on one elbow to lean over just enough to reach his lips. "This might be easier."

As they kissed, his hand toyed with the tail of Alex's shirt and then slid under, his warm palm like fire on Alex's hip. Alex wanted to rock into him, but was afraid to do it wrong, to make it seem fake, or like he was panicking-

"Alex," he came hurriedly back to the moment at Cross's voice, taking a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding "You alright?"

"Yeah," Alex ran a hand up Cross's shoulder, hanging it on the back of his neck "Yeah, I'm good."

"Seriously, Alex,  _ please _ tell me if it's not-"

The way he said it made Alex's insides turn to jelly. Could he even blush? If he could, he'd be doing it then. "I will, I promise- it feels good, I didn't know how to ask for more."

"Words will do fine." he slipped his fingers under Alex's belt and Alex pushed up, jerky and nervous, into his touch. Cross kissed down his jaw, his neck, down the little v of collar and chest between the first few open buttons of his shirt, until his breath caught and he was curling his hands in Cross's hair. The captain's hand pushed down, running across Alex's half hard cock. Alex's legs tried to clench together as electricity jolted all over him from that touch, and he clung to Cross before he could pull back.

"Keep going," he breathed "Please, keep going,"

It was just different, was all. He was hyper aware that Cross's entire attention was on him, on making him feel, and it was like stepping from the shadows into a spotlight. What if there wasn't enough that was Alex Mercer to stand up to that scrutiny? Trying to ignore that thought before it got too loud, he shut his eyes, canting his hips up, pushing until Cross was touching him again, hand wrapping around him and making him gasp and struggle not to hold onto Cross too tight. Mouthing at his shoulder, nosing his hood away, Cross squeezed him at his base and dragged slowly up, Alex's hips following, desperate not to be let go of- "Shit," he whined, squirming, wrapping his arms around Cross; wanting, no,  _ needing _ to be closer to him "Shit, don't tease, please, Cross- I want it so bad- I want you-" wanted to curl around him, to be in his arms and under his body like a blanket between Alex and the world, Alex and the monsters. Deftly, Alex pulled him right over to get his legs nimbly on either side of Cross's hips. He tried to pull him down, to bring their bodies closer together, but there was just enough resistance to stop him. 

"We'll get there," Cross kissed Alex's cheek as his hand moved determinedly slowly, making Alex keen "Not a race."

"It fucking  _ feels _ like one," Alex moaned eagerly against his lips, hands sliding down his body - Cross laughed, then groaned as Alex rubbed at his hard cock through his pants. Then Alex's biomass was writhing, clothes disappearing entirely. He felt Cross pause, thought  _ too much? _ and held tight to try and reassure him. Cross broke their lips apart. When Alex tried to pull him back he deflected to put their foreheads together instead.

"I'm not trying to be patronising, Alex, but I know you. You don't always look before you leap."

Alex couldn't reply. Human memories told him that he wasn't actually about to explode, but he certainly felt like it. Like his chest was going to burst open it was so full.  _ You know me _ . Cross would have noticed by now if Alex was only a vague outline of a person swaying with the influence of whatever mind he'd consumed most recently.

Not verbose at the best of times, Alex opened his mouth and nothing came out - but something of it must have shown on his face, because Cross came closer, and kissed his lips so, so softly that it ignited all the feelings crammed in his chest like they were tinder.

"I trust you," he whispered when their lips parted, and his voice broke.

"It's not always that easy," Cross's other hand brushed his cheek, smoothed the hair back from his temple "All it takes is a second, and I don't want to hurt you, not even for a second. Let me go slow for you."

Afraid he would barely manage a squeak if he spoke, Alex just nodded, pressing his palms where he could feel Cross's even pulse just below his jaw. He closed his eyes to savour the lazy crush of their lips and the slow build of heat in his belly, the agonising drag of Cross's hand on his eager skin. He would have begged, if it would have gotten him what he wanted; but he kept quiet, just started tentatively to untuck Cross's shirt from his belt and draw it up. When they had split apart so Alex could draw it over his head, he came back closer, propped up on an elbow rather than his hand, their bodies inches away.

"Still good?"

"Still good," Alex twisted his hips, breathless "I guess  _ I _ can’t really complain about going too slow, huh?"

"Not really." Cross smiled against his neck. He made Alex groan with his wandering lips and his knowing hand that still surprised Alex with just how well it knew him, what he liked, where he really just came undone. It seemed like an embarrassingly short amount of time before he was on the edge, although it was hard to keep track. He got out a surprised gasp of "Shit I'm gonna-  _ Cross-! _ " before he came hard, legs wrapping tight around Cross and arching up against him. Cross worked him gently through it and a little after, when Alex was jerky and his moans turned to whines, before finally taking his hand away and tracing soft, damp lines across Alex's stomach. Alex lay with his eyes closed, savouring how easy it had been - and feeling a deep  _ more, more, more _ in his belly. He traced a line down Cross's body, reaching his belt and fiddling with it. Cross took the hint. When he was stripped Alex wiggled into place, knees up, and reached down to pull Cross's cock base to tip and toy with it there so Cross's breath stuttered - then he was pulling him on, lining him up, but Cross stopped.

"Wait a second-"

"You don't need lube, I can do that myself," Alex's legs were tight around Cross's waist. 

"Alright," there was a hint of amusement in Cross's voice, over the low rumble of arousal that Alex could practically taste "But you know what I'm gonna ask."

"I'm good." Alex moved his hips, urging him on "I'm really good."

"Alright," it was a murmur "Keep talking. Let me know." and he pushed inside him, so fucking gently Alex almost wanted to yell at him that it was so  _ pointless _ and stupid to be gentle with him, gentle was wasted on him. Even if he liked it. He could barely say anything that organised though, he just kept moaning out "it's good I'm good- more- don't stop-" as Cross's steady, easy thrusts rocked him, had him one minute clutching at Cross's arms, then the sheet above his head, then running his fingers through Cross's hair, then grabbing a pillow and holding it so tight it ripped. He wanted to wrap his arms around Cross's neck and draw him in and finally close the last gap between them, lingered his hands on his shoulders as if to pull and then-

"Hey," Cross slowed as he felt Alex's movement halt "Talk to me."

Alex breathed heavily, clutching Cross's shoulders for a few silent moments, his eyes distant. "I want it."

"It's okay. We'll try later. It doesn't have to be now."

Alex's chest went still, wide with a held breath, then he let it out in a long sigh. It wasn't a bad sound; he looked peaceful, and his hands ran down Cross's arms, played with his fingers as the lapse in his moans subsided and he started to keen again. He took one of Cross's hands and guided it down to his aching cock, where the tender way he rubbed here and there with a thumb was too much, almost there, right there- Alex pulled tight around him, squeezing him, hands on his face. He pulled Cross down and lifted himself enough to bring their foreheads together and gaze into his eyes with a whisper of “come with me”.

And they did. They fell to pieces like that, gasping and groaning each other’s names, shaking. As they at last fell still, Cross tilted his body - leaning to the right, keeping himself from crowding Alex too much as he leant down and kissed his shoulder. A half-limp hand slid up his neck and the back of his head. “Well?”

“Well.” Alex murmured, his eyes closed, a serene smile faint on his lips “Maybe you were right.”

“Maybe.”

“Can’t draw a conclusion from a single experiment. Have to test the theory. _ Thoroughly. _ ”


End file.
